TANGIPAHOA, La. — Wednesday marked one month since an EF-2 tornado ripped through the Village of Tangipahoa in Tangipahoa Parish. A church was destroyed and the pastor is holding onto faith and hope.
"This is our sanctuary," The Reverend Troy Grimes of Quinn Chapel AME Church said surrounded by sheetrock and debris.
He's been the pastor of Quinn Chapel AME Church for nine years and also works as a sheriff's deputy in East Baton Rouge Parish.
"I try to help everybody as I go along life," Rev. Grimes said.
He hasn't been able to preach inside his chapel for a month since the tornado ripped through Feb. 8.
"I was like, my God. To come in and look at this devastation, it just really took my breath away," he said. "We're walking through the valley and there will be some valley experiences."
"I was so devastated. I didn't know what to do," said Brenda Nevels, a steward of the church who lives across the street. "It sounded like a train."
Rev. Grimes found out about the damage when a church member called him.
"The roof was all the way gone. The walls are leaning, sheetrock all over the place, even our steeple was on the ground on the other side," Rev. Grimes said.
It's a waiting game with insurance to figure out when and what they should do.
For now, the congregation is meeting at Browns Chapel Missionary Baptist Church who offered to share their space on Sundays.
"They were the first church to open their doors for us," Rev. Grimes said.
Rev. Grimes is thankful for that until they can rebuild.
"We're going to rebuild. I'm just praying to God he would touch people's hearts to help us," he said.
The church is hosting a cleanup day Saturday, March 18 at 10 a.m. and they are welcoming any volunteers who would like to help.
Rev. Grimes said anyone who would like to contact the church can call him directly at 225-252-4138.
A church steward has created a Go Fund Me to help the church rebuild.
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